The James Valentine Collection is the photographic production of a business which began operation in 1851 in Dundee, Scotland. Although many people think of Valentine’s as postcard publishers, they produced several types of photographic products. There’s a very comprehensive history in the collection that charts the rise and fall of the business. I have quite …
Castell Coch rises from the forest and overlooks the River Taff. The sky is reflected in the water, creating a glassy surface with gentle ripples. I pass this spot regularly and have formed a habit of capturing the view whenever I can. Sometimes it’s grey and foggy so I may not take a photo. Occasionally …
This image of Castell Coch is from Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. The photograph is mounted on card along with shots of a T.V.R. Converted Bristol Class locomotive and Barmouth Bridge under Cader Idris. The photographs aren’t dated unfortunately. After some quick research of Barmouth Bridge though, it turns out the drawbridge in the …
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) was established in 1908. They develop and promote the understanding of the archaeological, built and maritime heritage of Wales. The Commission has a huge collection of items in its archive, The National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW). Coflein is the online catalogue of …
There are loads of interesting posts on Instagram featuring Castell Coch. Here are a few of my favourite images. I share something most days on my @tongwynlais account. Tag me in or use #LoveCastellCoch to share yours.
The magic lantern is an early version of the image projector and was invented in the 17th century. The original versions of the 35mm photo slide were painted glass or oiled paper. For these early lanterns, the light source was either sunlight, candles or oil lamps. Magic lanterns were used as entertainment, combining images with …
You may have seen this spectacular image from local photographer Nick Russill in your Facebook feed recently. His otherworldly image of Castell Coch, nestled in the familiar woodland but surrounded by a sea of mist has enraptured people online. I spoke to Nick about the image and how he got into photography. Nick studied Mining …
You may have noticed more location signs have been put up in the village recently. I took a stroll up to the castle this morning to investigate and found the film crew for “Da Vinci’s Demons” setting up. Da Vinci’s Demons is a fantasy drama that tells the fictional story of Leonardo da Vinci’s early life. …
Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, have released a selection of iconic images to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the completion of Castell Coch. The images have been released in partnership with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and span multiple decades, from the castle’s completion in 1891 up to the present day. …
Extensive conservation work was carried out at Castell Coch in the summer of 2018. Cadw had been monitoring water damage for a number of years and efforts to fix the problem were unsuccessful. After further surveys highlighted weaknesses in the chimney stacks, it was decided that significant conservation work was required. Cadw offered tours of …
